The Deceiver
by sharpiedoodler
Summary: Azula never told anyone that Ozai was planning to kill Zuko, forcing him to flee to Ba Sing Se as a refugee. But with the Avatar now awake, Zuko's new life comes falling apart as his loyalties are tested and the line between friends and enemies and blur together.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Prince Zuko wasn't sleeping soundly. He was twisting and turning in his silk sheets as the night went by. Little did he know of the heavy footsteps coming towards him door. He stayed asleep as it creaked open and his father stepped inside. His father walked towards the bed, his steps becoming slower and slower as he looked at his son. He looked down at him with an expression no one had seen on his face in a long time. A strange mixture of pity and rage, disgust and hopelessness. His hand lit up in hot flames. A beautiful handful of rich reds and oranges dancing in his palm.

Zuko stirred in his sleep, the light waking him up. He cracked an eye open, "Father?" He asked, tiredly.

His father's expression changed to one of distaste. The flames turned blue.

Zuko frowned, blinking away the sleep, "Father, what's going on? Is something wrong?"

His father only shook his head, "Relax, Zuko." With a mighty gesture, he brought his hand down, aiming to hold it over his mouth.

Zuko shrieked and dodged. He scrambled to the other side of the bed, "Father!"

His father sighed, the light from the flames casting strange and eerie shadows on his face, "Don't make this any harder for me, Zuko."

Zuko's eyes were wide. He scrambled off the bed, cursing his satin blankets as they wrapped around his legs, trapping him,"Help me! Someone help!"

His father walked around to the other side of the bed, the fire still in his hand. He approached his struggling son, who was still screaming. Wriggling like mad, desperate for his life, he fell face first onto the floor. He scrambled to his feet and stared at his father, betrayal and confusion bright on his face. The Father smiled sadly, "You will be a worthy sacrifice, Zuko. Your name will live on forever."

Zuko shook his head, "Dad! Mother! Help me! Azula!" His hand keep getting closer to his face. Zuko backed up and took the blanket in his hands, setting it on fire. He threw it onto Firelord's face. His father screamed in pain and held his hand to his face. Zuko barely casted a look at it, before he leaped over his bed and sprinted outside.

He ran to his parent's room and threw the door open. When he got inside, he shook his mother awake.

"Zuko?" She asked, still tired.

"It's father!" Zuko whispered, "He's trying to kill me!" His mother became alert very quickly.

She sat up, "Follow me, we need to leave." She grabbed her son's hand and pulled him out of her room and alongside the thousands of corridors.

"Ursa!" His father's thundering voice echoed through the halls. His mother froze. She dragged Zuko into the courtyard. He spotted the turtle ducks, still asleep. His mother grasped his shoulders.

"I can't come with you," Zuko made a small noise of protest, but his Mother put a finger over his lips, "Listen. You need to run to the docks. There's a few ships leaving tomorrow. Board any of them. You need to leave immediately, before any of the guards are told to try and find you."

Zuko felt himself starting to cry, "Mother? What is going on?"  
His Mother pulled him into a strong hug, "I was beginning to suspect something like this would happen. I just never though Ozai would actually…" She trailed off, "Never mind. Once you leave, get to the Earth Kingdom. Change your name and never firebend again. Understand me? Never again. If you get recognized…" She trailed off again, but Zuko understood what she meant. "I love you, Zuko. I always will. Azula does too. Be careful, alright. I'm sorry," His mother said, quickly.

"Ursa!" Ozai yelled again, much closer.

His mother smiled at him one last time, "Run!"  
And Zuko did. He sprinted across the courtyard, passed the turtle duck pond. He ran though the hallways he lived in his entire life. He managed to get out of the palace without a sound and ran down the steep hill Palace City was on until he got to the docks, where luck would have, a boat was sitting. He couldn't spot any crew on it, they were probably all asleep.

Zuko stumbled onto the boat. He was exhausted, hungry and in shook. He managed to find a storeroom that looked like it hadn't been touched in months. Zuko stumbled inside, closed the door and fell asleep.

The next morning, he could feel the boat moving. He looked out the small window. There was the city, slowly fading from his view. He could spot the highest tower of the palace where the library was. A little to the left was the roof where his parent's room was. Zuko shivered at the thought. Was his father sleeping right now? Having a pleasant dream about killing his son again?

The thought nearly sent him over the edge, what had he done wrong? Sure, he wasn't as good as a fire bender as Azula was, or was particularly gifted at any subject in school and yes, the consequences in the Fire Nation were often severe, but he couldn't think of anything he'd done that had been awful. Zuko let the thought swirl in his mind for a bit longer.

He kept watching the main land until it disappeared from view. All around him was sea. It made him uncomfortable. Water was nice and cool in small doses, but in big ones, Zuko knew it could wipe him out easily. If the ship went down, Zuko knew it was going to drag him down with it.

By nightfall, Zuko was shivering. He was tempted to light a fire, but his mother's words kept repeating themselves in his head. _Never firebend again._ The idea of never playing around with it, never feel it tickling his skin, never feeling the great rush of power that accompanied it almost made him cry. But still, he knew his mother was smart. So Zuko stayed cold all night, wrapping himself up in his thin night clothes.

They arrived at a port three days later. Zuko almost leaped for joy when he heard the yells from upstairs, screaming to let the rowboats down. He was hungry, thirsty and tired, ready to get out from the cramped, damp storeroom. He listened next to the door. Hearing no foot steps, Zuko cracked the door open and spied out of it. No one. He opened it wider and took a hesitant step outside, paranoid and jumpy. Every little creak of wood or footstep from upstairs made him jump a mile. He managed to reach the end of the hallway.

"Hey you!" He heard someone yell. Zuko looked behind him. A man in fire nation garb, was charging towards him, "Stowaway!"

Zuko sprinted up the stairs as fast as he could, turning down another hallway. He ran past a Fire Nation, who tried to grab him. He turned again, running, his footsteps pounding on the metal boat. There! A door. He swung it open and stepped out, relishing the breeze that ran across his skin.

"Stop him!" A Fire Nation soldier yelled.

No time to think, Zuko climbed the railing that looked out to the sea. He casted on glance back at the ship, where the men were charging towards him and took his chance. He tumbled towards the water. It enveloped him like a blanket, dark and soft. He held his breath, thankful for his swimming lessons as he tried to figure out which way was up. The clothing he was wearing was already weighing him down and Zuko struggled to break the surface. He took a deep breath once he had, inhaling the fresh air like a starved man did food. He looked back at the looming metal hull. It seemed so tall and imposing. Zuko quickly swam out to the harbour, managing to avoid most people as he got to the surface, shivering in his wet clothing. He was thankful for the wetness a moment later when an Earth Kingdom lady bumped into him.

"Oh, you poor dear. Did you fall into the water?" She asked, taking his hand.

Zuko snatched it back immediately, looking at her warily. Why wasn't she yelling at him? Trying to kill him? Earth Kingdom was the enemy of the Fire Nation, why wasn't she attacking him. He glanced at his clothing. They were completely dark. The water had darkened them to the point that they could pass as black. The lady must of though he was an Earth Kingdom.

"Are you alright?" She asked, newfound sympathy in her voice.

Zuko nodded.

"Where are your parents?" She asked.

Zuko froze, he couldn't tell her who they were! "Gone," He sputtered.

"Fire Nation, wasn't it," A grimace took over her face, "Awful, awful. Another family ruined. Tell you what, I have some clothing my own son grew out of a few months ago. I was going to sell them, but I think you need them more. Come with me and I'll let you sleep for the night."

Zuko looked at her suspiciously, then at the harbour. Where else was he going to get help" "Thank you."

She smiled, "It's nothing. I'm Min Tai, what's your name?"

"Uh," Zuko said, scrambling for one. Everyone knew Zuko was the son of Prince Ozai, what was a common, normal name? "Lee."

"Oh, well isn't that funny, my nephew was called Lee too," She said. They began walking towards the village, making polite conversation. Zuko was glad his clothing was cotton, they were staying wet for a long time. By the time they reached her house, Zuko was relieved, even if it was just a hut made out of mud.  
"Here they are," She said, thrusting a pile of green rags into his arm. Zuko looked at them gingerly. Some of them had holes in them and they all had a small coating of dirt.

At his look Min Tai laughed, "Yes, they are a little dirty aren't they. I'm sorry, my son is an earthbender, always digging holes then filling them up with himself still in them. The other day he managed to even lift his sister four feet in the air with one of his earth pillars."

Zuko was impressed, he didn't know much about earth bending, but the idea of moving earth had always seemed cool. Not as good as fire, not even close but still tempting.

"Are you a bender then?" She asked.

Zuko was tempted to answer yes, but his mother's warning rang in his head. He shook his head.

"Me neither, now go get changed," She said, shooing him away.

Zuko stumbled off to get changed, feeling incredibly wrong as he put on the robes. They were green. Not red. Green. He looked at them with distaste. They had holes in them too and were obviously worn in by someone else. They fit differently too, much looser than the clothing of the Fire Nation. Softer, covering more skin. And green. Ugh. He hated the green. Zuko left the room he had been changing in.

Min Tai walked over to him, "Just like I thought. They fit like a glove."

"Thank you," Zuko lied.

"It was no problem, dearie. Now, supper's almost ready, Bao and Fen will be along any minute," She said.

Zuko sat down at the wobbly table. Everything about this place was so strange. The room was sparsely decorated, only a small family portrait hung on the wall. The food did smell quite good though, Zuko decided.

The door swung open, "Hey Mom!"

Zuko looked. Two children, a boy around his age and a girl a few years younger. They both had dark hair and the green eyes that marked them as Earth Kingdom. Both of them were covered in dirt. He heard Min Tai sigh when she saw them.

"Bao, what did I say about earth bending before supper?" She asked.

Bao shook his head, "It was Fen, Mom! She bended a ball of dirt and dropped it on my head!"

Tai Min hugged her daughter, "Oh good job, Fen. But you do know that you have to use it responsibly, okay? I'll start sending you to Jiang in a few weeks, so that he'll train you."

"Whose that?" Fen asked, pointing at Zuko. He stood up.

Min Tai responded, "That's Lee. He'll be staying with us for the night, okay."

Fen ran up to him, a hge smile on her face "Guess what?"  
"Uh," Zuko stammered, "What?"

"I'm an earth bender!" She yelled, triumphantly.

"Good job?" Zuko guessed.

A smile lit up her face, "Look!" She yelled, making a pushing motion. After a few moments of intense concentration, the earth under his chair tilted, throwing him off of it.

Zuko yelped as he fell out of it, barely saving himself from hitting the ground.

"Fen!" Min Tai admonished, "No! Lee isn't a bender, you can't play games like that with him. He could of been hurt by that."

Fen looked down, "Sorry."

"It's fine, Fen," Zuko responded, awkwardly.

Min Tai smiled apologetically at him, "So, Lee, where are you going?"

Zuko hesitated, "I don't really know yet."

She put a potato on his plate, "Well Ba Sing Se is always accepting refuges. I heard the siege ended just a few days ago in fact. Maybe it's a sign."

"Does that mean Daddy's coming back?" Fen asked.

"Yes it does, Fen. Daddy's defeated the monsters, so he can come back," Min Tai told her.

Zuko watched them with wide eyes. Monster? He assumed they were talking about the Fire Nation.

"And you, Lee. Was anyone you know sent to fight?"

Zuko nodded, "My Uncle."

Min Tai winced, "Do you know if he's alright?"

Was his Uncle alive? If Min Tai had been right that the siege had ended, it meant that either Uncle was victorious or dead. Zuko thought back to his last few days in the Palace. On the last evening, there had ben an air of sadness and mourning. Zuko tried to ask about it, but Mother had told him she would tell him and Azula in the morning. She never got around to it.

"No," Zuko replied.

She looked at him with pitying eyes, "How old are you, Lee? Ten?"

"Eleven," He told her.

"I'm seven!" Fen threw in, "Bao's twelve!"

Min Tai ignored Fen, "There are orphanages in Ba Sing Se. I would love to have you live here, but the village is not in good shape. Already, we're too hungry. I suspect you'll have better luck there. I've heard that there are jobs by the bucketful, all of them paying more than enough to live happily."

Zuko nodded. He knew where Ba Sing Se was, because of all the studying he did in the Fire Nation. But Uncle hadn't managed to get in, how could he?

"I don't know how to get in," He muttered.

"I've heard of a ferry, off the Full Moon Bay," Bao said, through a mouthful of potato, "Zei's family is heading there in a few weeks."  
"Really?" Min Tai said, "That's very helpful. What do you think, Lee? Full Moon Bay is only half a days walk from here."

Zuko nodded, slowly, "That sounds good." What choice did he have? Scavenge in Earth territory and starve to death? Or head to Ba Sing Se? Zuko made up his mind, Ba Sing Se it was.

Min Tai beamed, "Excellent! Bao, would you like to show Lee to the bay? You can leave tomorrow, at eight?"

Bao shrugged, "Sure."

"Thanks," Zuko told them. It was odd to say those types of things. Not even a week ago, saying that you to anyone would of been beneath him, but here, he was just another commoner. Another face in the street. Zuko wasn't sure he liked that.

* * *

Alright, so new story. Just for the record, Zuko will be referred to as "Zuko", even if the character believes his name is Lee. Ex: "Nice to meet you, Lee." "You too," Said Zuko.

This was a bit of a prologue, expect a time jump to hit chapter 2. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Zuko woke up at sunrise. He opened his eyes as the sun rose up, light flooding his small room through various holes in the wall. He felt the pull of the sun, urging him to light a flame, to make the winter of the Earth Kingdom bearable. Zuko almost did, just like he did every morning. He reached his hands out in front of him and just for a moment, just for one tiny second of his life, he felt the fire coursing through his veins, ready and eager to burn. Then, he curled his hands into fists and extinguished it before it could become visible.

There was no fire bending in Ba Sing Se, not unless he was asking for the Dai Li to take him away. Zuko shuddered as he thought about it, or worse, if he came back. Most people the Dai Li took disappeared forever, but every once in a while, Zuko would spot someone he knew. His heart ached for Wei, so many good memories together, only to meet her again and have her be empty. Zuko didn't like seeing her around anymore. Her eyes were always blank, uncaring and wrong. She would smile at him gently and say, "My friend Zuko. I am glad to be seeing you again. I am happy to see you so well after the fire. It was caused by a fallen candle. So foolish," before Zuko ran away from her. Wei wasn't Wei anymore and it scared him. He wouldn't let the Dai Li do that to him.

He stood up. Mourning her was useless. He had a day of work ahead of him. He quickly gathered up his clothing, an old green shirt and pants to match. He frowned as he stuck his finger through one of the many holes in them. Zuko's mediocre sewing skills couldn't mend them and he still didn't have enough money to pay a sewer to do it for him.

He walked to the mirror and looked into it, quickly washing his face. He glowered when he looked at his eyes, pale gold. They were the only sign he hadn't been able to erase that showed he was different. Fire Nation. They were cruel and cold, menacing to people who looked at him. It was proof that he hadn't always been Lee, non bending refuge.

He barely thought about his life before Ba Sing Se. It was almost like a dream, with princes and rich foods, evil sisters and plotting fathers. Some days, he could almost convince himself it was one, until he saw his cold golden eyes in a mirror or felt the sun screaming at him to make a flame. The illusion was broken then. He could never properly be Lee, non bending refugee, not that he deserved it. Anyone descended from Fire Nation monsters didn't, much less the son of the Fire Lord himself. Zuko heard the door creak open.

"Morning," His roommate, Taiyo, stumbled into their apartment. He looked awful, or more awful than usual at least. The dark circles around his eyes seemed worse than normal and there was definitely a rip in his clothing that hadn't been there before. His hair was falling out of it's loose bun; greasy, knotted strands falling to his mid back.

"Rough night?" Zuko asked.

Taiyo nodded, "Factory had a stop. We had to wait three hours to start working again. Unpaid, of course and to get our full pays for today we have to arrive three hours early tonight."

Zuko sighed, "At least your home now."

Taiyo breathed an agreement before he collapsed onto the bed, "You should go. It's almost five."

Zuko nodded, "I'll see you tonight. Pick up a few oranges if you can, we're running out of fruits."

Taiyo waved his hand at Zuko, already half asleep, "Go. I'm tired."

"Yeah, see you later, Tai," He opened the door and walked out. Zuko left his shabby apartment building, greeting the sight of Ba Sing Se with a scowl. The streets were limping to life. A merchants or two were getting set up on the sides of streets and few stragglers from night shifts were stumbling half asleep to their home. Zuko could spot one or two other early wakers. their eyes still blurry with sleep and they were yawning every other minute. Ba Sing Se wasn't for the early bird, that was sure. He was always ready to run a marathon, or start a fight at this time, as long as the sun was up as well. The rest of Ba Sing Se, however, seemed to agree that mornings were for suffering, while afternoons were lively.

Zuko walked to his job. He was a a simple waiter at a local tea shop. The tea was shit and the pay was worse, but with the rate the refugees were coming in, he was lucky to even have a job at all, so he didn't dare complain, not when a simple mention of him getting a raise to his boss would get him thrown onto the streets. There wasn't a shortage of eager workers desperate for a job that would readily line up at Jamoshi's Tea if news of a open spot.

He checked in at 4:45, giving him enough time to throw on his apron and set up some tables with cutlery.

"Good morning, Lee," Jamoshi, his boss, greeted him. He was a short man, with a long, gray beard that was half the size of his body. He always wore the same foul smelling robes that made customers retch when ever they met him. Zuko had long discovered the secret of not breathing when he approached the man.

"And to you," He answered politely.

Jamoshi walked towards the kitchens, "Help me out with the jasmine tea, Lee."

Zuko headed to the kitchen, quickly getting the herbs needed. He set up the fire, fighting the familiar urge to play with it as it heated up the water. It was beyond tempting, but he wouldn't dare, especially with Jamoshi in the same room. He caught sight of the road. They were more crowded now, as low level workers began to walk towards their jobs.

"Jamoshi? The water is ready," He said, heading back to the main part of the restaurant.

The old man hurried to the tea, "You only heated the water?"

Zuko nodded, "Of course." He had discovered early on that he wasn't the most gifted tea maker. Jamoshi had agreed immediately, banning Zuko from doing anything other than boiling water and serving it. Zuko had barely resisted telling him that his tea wasn't anything to compare it too, but he kept his mouth shut. He had already been fired from two jobs for his unwanted opinions and money was running short.

"Good, now open us up," He said.

Zuko wandered to the door and hung the sigh on the door. We're open! It stated in elegant writing. It took a while, but slowly customers began to enter the shop, begging for a nice, warm tea to wake them up. Zuko served them, keeping quiet all the time. He heard snippets of conversations.  
"—And she bothered to even show up," A loudmouthed teenage girl complained.

"Did you hear that there was a fight in the streets the other day?" A pair of mother said to each other. Gossip was always lively at his job. No one noticed the server listening in. He knew the secrets of most of his regulars.

Zuko crossed the floor to get to the two old men on the edge of the restaurant. They were dressed more richly than anyone else, probably middle class. Zuko narrowed his eyes, he knew that everyone above lower class thought of them as rats, so why had they come here? They certainly weren't regulars.

"Can I take your orders?" He asked, with a charming smile on his face.

One of the men scowled, "A jasmine."  
"One for me too, boy," The other responded rudely. Zuko didn't let the smile fall off his face. He desperately needed the tips and if these people really were middle class, they could give him more than the average customer.

Zuko relayed the order to Jamoshi, before picking up three cups to give to a trio of tired looking workers. On the way back, he passed the two old men again.

"What do you mean you don't know?" One of them asked, looking utterly outraged, "The Avatar is in Ba Sing Se and you don't know?"  
Zuko's eyebrows flew up, the Avatar was in Ba Sing Se? He had heard rumours of his return after one hundred years, everyone had. He was supposed to be a boy, still twelve years old. He'd gotten scraps from other refuges, the newer ones at least. It was all secretive, no one knew when the Dai Li would be listening. Zuko wasn't an idiot either, he knew even the slightest mention of the war would meant that the Dai Li was putting a watch on you. He had been lucky that he'd only been eleven when he arrived, people were quick to dismiss the words of a child and he learnt quickly that defending the Fire Nation was greeted with hostile stares and scowls.

"Really? The Avatar?"

The man nodded, "Yeah and I heard he can defeat he Fire Nation."  
The words sparked something in Zuko. He slunk closer to the men.

"Really?" The other man sounded doubtful.

The first man nodded, "I heard that he singlehandedly destroyed the Fire Nation Navy and killed one of their generals."  
Zuko wasn't the only listening anymore. A few other customers had gone quiet, their eyes fixed on the pair.

"The whole navy?" The other asked, disbelief lacing his voice.

The first man nodded, just as a Dai Li walked into the store. Everyone went quiet. Zuko went up to him, "Sit anywhere." He could see the bright, alarmingly bright green eyes of the man. He felt uncomfortable even looking at them. Their eyes were inhuman, too bright, too hard. No one liked looking them in the eye.

The Dai Li looked around the shop, scanning each table, each person. People stiffened when he looked at them, one little girl even dropped her tea on the floor, making a loud crash. Her mother gripped her arm, pulling her behind her.

The Dai Li didn't even react, all he did was leave the shop and exit onto the bristling street. People let out the breath they were holding. A small crowd quickly left the restaurant, even the two middle class men. Zuko cursed the Dai Li. Their presence always sent business away and less business meant less money. Jamoshi hated them too, but he was able to hide in the kitchen until they went away. Only a few customers were left in the shop and most of them drank their tea as quickly as possible, before leaving the pitiful amount of payment on the table. The prices of tea had gone down again, in order to try and get more business. All it had been doing was making them loose money, but lately, it seemed that all the businesses were loosing money.

As the day went on, Zuko tried to forget about the Avatar. and the Dai Li visit. It was useless to hope that a twelve year old boy could even hope to defeat the Fire Lord. He dismissed the prick of hope that the war might be ending soon, a hundred years of violence wouldn't be solved by a twelve year old.

Work ended at nine and Zuko began walking to his house. Taiyo was probably at work already, though to tell the truth, Zuko didn't really mind. He would enjoy having the apartment to himself. He stopped by the market, which was already closed, sighing to himself because Taiyo was known for forgetting most things. He was about to leave when he heard her.

"My friend Lee!" Her voice echoed around the square. Zuko turned around, face to face with Wei. She was smiling broadly at him, "I am glad to be seeing you again." She was dressed in a simple light green outfit, with a belt tied loosely around her waist. Her brown hair was pinned back with a flower pin. Zuko cringed when he saw it, it had been a birthday present for her last year. He avoided looking into her eyes, they still freaked him out. They were just so blank, empty. Emotionless. The opposite of the Dai Li's too bright eyes, her were faded.

He took a shaky step back, "Wei."

"I am happy to see you so well after the fire," She chirped, stepping closer to him, "It was caused by a fallen candle. So foolish." She extended a hand to him, inviting him to take it. All Zuko could do was stare at the burn covering her hand, it was still red and raw looking, before he backed away, turned and fled. He could hear her small footsteps following him, so he ran faster, sprinting though alleyways and over fences to get away. He couldn't face her, not with her blank eyes and the flower pin in her hair.

Zuko didn't stop until he got to his apartment. He threw himself inside and locked the door behind him. He panted as he looked out the window. He could see her pale green dress on the road, looking for him. Zuko quickly recoiled from the window, collapsing onto the mattress, catching his breath.

He had a restless sleep, the image of the fire, the burn on Wei's hand rough against his skin, her blank eyes that just oozed blame.

That night, Zuko didn't sleep soundly. He turned and twisted in his threadbare sheets as he dreamt of Wei's empty green eyes staring at him. The flames licking her hand as she screamed in pure pain, the sparks flying through the air and the thick smoke filling the air.

* * *

And chapter 2 is finished. Hope you all enjoyed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Zuko gazed out the window. It was early morning, still mostly dark, but the sun was just managing to peak over the tall houses. The night shift stragglers were still coming in, exhausted and half asleep. He was already dressed, ready for another day of work. Taiyo would be stumbling in any minute and Zuko would be taking off for another day on his feet. He left at half an hour to five, saying a quick hello to Taiyo.

The news of the Avatar spread quickly. Working as a waiter, Zuko often caught the local gossip, who was sleeping with who, who broke up with who and who was cheating on who. But today, it was all buzz with the Avatar. In a table close to a window, two friends were avidly talking about it.

"I heard he's really handsome," A teenager girl relayed to her friend, talking in an excited voice.

"Isn't he twelve or something?" A friend of hers asked.

The first girl bit her lip, "I can wait a few years, right? Maybe he just looks young."

In another corner, Zuko could spot a few farmers.

"Reckon the Avatar can get it to rain soon?" One of them, a gruff man who visited Jamoshi's Tea often, asked his friends.

Another shrugged, "He can control water can't he? And with the drought going on we'll need it."

A third scowled, "Like the Avatar would help anyone but himself. He's been hiding out for a hundred years, letting the Fire Nation kill people like us."

Zuko almost tripped when he heard him say that. Sure, animosity towards the Avatar wasn't unheard of, but straight out hatred? It sounded just like something out of one of the Fire Nation history books. He always felt uncomfortable whenever someone said something like that. The Earth Kingdom was supposed to be different. They were supposed to be the good guys, the ones who were victims.

"Lee!" Jamoshi called, startling him out of his thoughts, "Four jasmines!"

Zuko ran over to the counter and grabbed them, delivering them to the customers.

On his lunch break, all he heard was the news about the Avatar. Most of it seemed to be completely ridiculous. One rumour he heard was about how he managed to save an entire family while battling half the fire nation army while having a broken leg. It was ridiculous. Everyone was making a twelve year old into some kind of war hero, even if he wasn't. They were just desperate for someone to help them.

Zuko looked across the street a few hours later, only to see a new poster added to the wall behind in front of the store. It was a lost sign, looking for some weird flying moose thing with a weird amount of legs. Zuko sighed, everyone knew not to put posters up. It was against the Dai Li. But then he noticed who was looking for it : the Avatar. He almost laughed. The avatar lost his pet flying moose! And these people thought he would save them from the Fire Nation.

He spent the rest of the day pondering how on earth the Avatar managed to loose a gigantic creature. It was a good distraction from the boring task of serving tea, but slowly, he became more and more befuddled. Flying moose don't just disappear, do they? And how would it of disappeared in Ba Sing Se? There were eyes everywhere, the Dai Li looked everywhere. They would of found it in an instant for the Avatar. He glanced outside again, balancing four teacups of tea against his chest. Two Dai Li were standing in front of the sign, tearing it down. Zuko paused, staring. The only real possibility was that the Dai Li were involved it's disappearance.

Oh. That made sense then. Of course it was the Dai Li, it was always the Dai Li. But still, Zuko hadn't expected them to go against the Avatar, weren't they on the same side? The Dai Li were awful, but they were Earth Kingdom. Anything that wasn't Fire Nation was an ally, even the pitiful help from the Water Tribe. By closing time, Zuko had spent his entire shift wondering what the Dai Li wanted with the flying moose.

When he did leave, it was later then usual, Jamoshi had asked him to work an extra hour. Zuko hadn't dared to refuse. So he left later, feeling drained. He never felt very good during the night. Always tired and droopy. He supposed that was what you were supposed to feel like, but compared to the lively biannual festivals that took place around evening and the dozens of crowds talking and laughing on the street, Zuko felt out of place.

He could tell the Avatar what he knew. Help him find his flying moose and get him out of Ba Sing Se, but he was probably comfy inside the upper ring. Zuko had no chance of getting into there. He could just ignore it and continue on with his life, but that idea itched Zuko's head. It wasn't honourable. So what else was there to do? Find the thing himself? On a normal night, Zuko would of laughed at himself for thinking that for a minute. But tonight wasn't normal. He was tired and itching with unrest. He had been wanting to strike back against the Fire Nation for a long time now, get revenge for hurting these refuges. His mind decided, Zuko knew where he was going.

The first thing he needed to do was figure out where the Dai Li was keeping the flying moose. There weren't many places in Dai Li to keep something of that size, especially since it's noises would probably alert the public that something was up. The Dai Li would never do that. So, where could they keep it? Zuko spotted two Dai Li walking on the street. They were both staring straight ahead, their expressions vacant. Zuko glared at them, trying to focus.

Finally, he reached clarity. Why would the flying moose be different from any other person in Ba Sing Se? When the Dai Li wanted to make someone disappear, they stuck them in, well, wherever they stuck them. And if the Dai Li wanted to make a gigantic flying moose who also happened to be the Avatar's pet disappear, they'd stick him in the same place.

Zuko really hoped he was right. If he wasn't, well he'd find out just what the place the Dai Li sent people to anyways, but he'd be a prisoner as well. He could still back out. Go back to his apartment, wake up the next morning and go back to Jamoshi's for another day of work. There wasn't a reason not to, he had a good life in Ba Sing Se. He had a home, a job and a few friends. Why should he throw it all away for a twelve year old boy who was content to sit out the war while thousands were killed?

He stepped right into a puddle. Zuko sighed and cursed himself for being so distracted and shook his foot, trying to get the water out of his shoe, when he glimpsed himself in the water, with his golden eyes staring back at him. He narrowed his eyes.

It steeled his will. The people he shared his blood with had killed people, burnt down entire villages and reduced a once thriving kingdom to what it was now. He had to help the Avatar, prove it to himself that he wasn't like them. Make up for the crimes his family had committed.

Zuko spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out the likely locations the Dai Li would throw the people they make disappear into. After coming up with hundreds of bad ideas, Zuko realized how impossible it was. Surely, he hadn't been the first to try to figure out where it was. Frustrated, Zuko kicked a rock across the street. Then, he formed his single good idea. He didn't know where it was, but he knew someone who did.

It was an insane plan. Hardly a plan at all really, just a stupid, horrible idea. He decided to talk to Wei. The thought of talking to her with her absent eyes and burnt hand freaked him out, but he resolved to anyways. He needed to know.

By now, he'd seen her around often enough to know where she would be. It was around eleven, so she'd probably be near the old park. Zuko walked there, getting slower and slower with each step. He could almost feel the guilt weighing him down.

Finally, he arrived. There were a few people milling around, all of them drinking beer and chatting, but in the middle, gliding around aimlessly in her pale green dress, was Wei. She had a serene smile on her face, but her eyes were still blank. She looked up and caught his eye. Her smile expanded, stretching across her face as she walked towards him.

"My friend Lee," She greeted. Zuko resisted the urge to run. He stared her down, his eyes roaming over the clip in her hair. Zuko could feel his heart beat getting faster and faster.

"I am glad to be seeing you again," She was only few meters away from him now. Zuko tensed up.

"I am happy to see you so well after the fire." No, this was a mistake, a huge mistake. He never should of come to see her. She reached out with her burnt hand. Zuko flinched, but didn't move as he felt her rough, burnt skin touching his own.

"It was caused by a fallen candle. So foolish," She finished, gazing at him through her blank eyes.

Zuko steeled himself, "Where did they take you?"

Wei blinked, as if she was taken by surprise, but the dazed look was back again quickly, "Take me?"

He leaned closer, whispering, "The Dai Li. A year ago, remember?"  
Wei's smile faded a little bit, "Ah, Lake Laogai. I had a wonderful vacation. Maybe the Dai Li will let you go there."

"Yes, so tell me where it is," Zuko demanded.

"You will find out if you need to go."

"Wei! Tell me!"  
"You will find out if you—"

Zuko cut her off, "I need the real Wei, not this weird Dai Li version! Please, Wei, please!" He pleaded.

There it was again, the quick flash of Wei, before she became dazed again, "My friend Lee, I am glad to be seeing you again. I am happy to see you so well after the fire. It was caused by a fallen candle, so foolish."

Zuko could feel the guilt crush him. A fallen candle…he wished it had been, "It wasn't a fallen candle, Wei."

"A fallen candle, so foolish."

"Stop this!" Zuko yelled, "It wasn't a candle, it was me!"

"My friend Lee."

Zuko screamed, "Wei! It was me! I set fire to the apartment! I'm the one who burnt you hand!"

He could swear that there was a tear coming from her eyes, "I am glad to see you again," Her voice was shaking.

This was it. Zuko lit up his hand like a match. The fire ran up and down his arms like water. For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt the intoxication power that rose through him, spreading through his arms and legs, all the way to his fingertips. For the first time in years, he felt alive. He glared at it hatefully, fire was disgusting, another mark that he was the enemy.

Then, Wei screamed. It echoed around the park, making everyone turn their heads. More screamed erupted. Wei was still frozen, her eyes reflecting the warm fire, her mouth frozen in a scream, "Lee?" She was crying, "Lee!"

"Wei!" Zuko responded. It felt like an anvil lifted off his back. Wei was back, the real Wei. But she was staring at him like he was a Fire Nation soldier. Zuko flinched, couldn't she see that he was still Lee?

"You're a…" Her voice was shaking.

Suddenly, the earth was encircling his body. Zuko froze. The Dai Li. He could tell from Wei's eyes that she had seen them too. She took a step away, fear in her eyes.

"Let me out! Wei, please! You're an earth bender, help me!"  
"You burnt me," She muttered, confused, "You're Fire Nation," Her voice turned angry.

"Please, Wei, help me. I don't want the Dai Li to make me disappear!"

Slowly, she shook her head, "You're not Lee. You can't be. You're a monster! I hate you! I hate you! You tried to kill me, I hate you!"

"I was an accident, Wei! I'm sorry!" Zuko screamed.

Wei just backed away, staring at him like he was his father. In the light of the moonlight, Zuko could see the rest of the people in the park. They were staring at him with murderous hatred. No, he wanted to shout, I hate the Fire Nation too! If they knew, they would understand, he was sure.

Wei was running away from him now, her pale green dress fading into the distance. For the first time in a year, Zuko wanted to chase after her, to tell her everything and for the first time, it was Wei running away. Zuko saw the two Dai Li. They were coming towards him, menacingly. Their too bright green eyes seemed to be piercing his soul. Zuko shuddered, he was alone now. Quickly, he glanced towards the sky, savouring the sight of it. He doubted he'd be put back into the city like Wei had been. They'd sooner kill him.

* * *

So that was chapter 3. Hope everyone liked it.

Just to clarify: Zuko doesn't have a scar, he ran away before the fight wit this father.

Also, I just want to say that A) I'm looking for a beta reader for this story, if anyone is interested in helping me with that and B) if you have any questions about anything really, or any suggestions that can help the story, feel free to review of PM them to me. I'm always learning how to make my writing better, so any advice you can give would ne really appreciated.


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